A Modern Myth
by adventurous
Summary: Elena was meant to be on her way to the lakehouse for summerbreak with her brother and friends. But then she strayed down the wrong path, one that leads her to an old boarding house, the home to a monster. AU. Still humans & vamps. ExD
1. Chapter 1

**Hey. Okay so this is a modern TVD version of Beauty and the Beast with quite a lot of deviation... Hope you like it :) This is a kinda slow chapter to get us started but it will pick up after, if people want me to continue this. **

**Disclaimer: The clue is in the 'dis'**

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><p>The sun beat down through the windshield as Elena Gilbert drummed her fingers impatiently on the steering wheel of her cherry-red mini. It was the first day of summer break and she was driving to the summer lodge where she was supposed to meet her brother and best friend. Well, that was if you could call coming to a stand-still in a traffic queue 'driving'. At the moment all she could see for miles in front of her was cars, the metal shining painfully in the sunlight. If this kept up she wouldn't make it there tonight. Groaning she slumped down in her chair before quickly firing off a text to Jeremy asking him not to drive Bonnie crazy.<p>

Hours later and the queue had barely moved more than a couple of hundred metres. It would literally be faster walking. Elena toyed with the idea in her head. Just ditch the car and walk all the way. It would be like something out of the terminator. She had the shades and damn, if she couldn't do a mean Arnie impression. She almost caught herself mouthing 'I'll be back' to her rear-view mirror. Nah that was a stupid idea.

The cars inched forward as the sun climbed higher. It almost seemed to be racing across the sky, mocking the amount of time it was taking to move so much as a foot.

Finally Elena had had enough. Spotting a turn-off to her right, she edged through the traffic down the blissfully empty road that stretched out invitingly in front of her. It almost didn't matter where the hell it was taking her, just so long as she was moving. Fields rolled out like patchwork on either side of the road that seemed to wind on forever. Sooner or later she was going to have to look out directions and perhaps hunt down a hopefully friendly local.

As it so happened there were very few locals around and the only side roads Elena could see lead to old abandoned-looking barns. Panic was beginning to flutter its wings in her stomach. Not a single car had passed in the opposite direction, but maybe there was a diversion to avoid the traffic? Yes. Yes, that must be it.

Another hour of driving along the road yielded no results. If anything the road seemed to getting rougher. The neater farmed fields from the start had given way to overgrown grasslands. She could have kicked herself for not turning back sooner. Really Elena, how long does it take to twig you shouldn't have taken a shortcut? She slapped a hand against her forehead, the smack resounding in the small confines of her car.

Finally pulling over to take a moment to gather her surroundings, she took a deep breath before unbuckling her seatbelt and stepping outside onto the dusty track. Nope. Not even the slightest bit familiar. If this were a Western there would be tumbleweed blowing across the road and a creaky gate swinging in the breeze whilst vultures circled overhead. "Eurgh!" She tugged her hands through her long straight brown hair in frustration.

There was nothing else for it. She was going to have to phone her younger brother and attempt to tolerate his smugness at her failure to follow a simple task. A glance at the clock on the dashboard told her she should have been at the lakehouse hours ago. It seemed strange that no-one had tried to contact her though. Elena whipped her phone out of her pocket. No signal. Of course.

She whirled around and kicked the front tyre, screaming out in pent up rage. What was the point in modern technology if it was so damn fallible? Here she was, stuck in the middle of God knows where, with less than a quarter tank of fuel left and a next-to-fully charged phone that was rendered useless due to the lack of service.

As far as Elena could tell, her options were pretty limited.

She could wander around on foot, hoping to get a signal, in hope that her brother would be able to look up a map and tell her how to return to civilisation.

She could drive back the way she came, despite the lack of ample fuel and hope this was far enough to bring her back within a signal to phone for help.

Or she could keep on driving and hope to hit a town or service station soon. God knows one was overdue.

There was a lot of hope involved in all of the options.

And as much as Elena would like nothing more than to throw a temper tantrum she realised that that would achieve nothing. Maybe she would have done that a year ago, before she had to grow up and fast when her parents died. Now she was a smart, intelligent, independent young woman.

One stuck in the middle of nowhere.

The middle of nowhere that was going to become pitch black in a couple of hours.

Maybe that tantrum was in the cards yet...

Elena let out a deep breath that send strands of fine hair flying as she clambered back into her car and revved the engine. A moment of indecision was followed by the continuation of her journey forward. For better or for worse.

Darkness fell even sooner than she expected; the clumsy oaf. The headlamps of the car cut through the darkness casting eerie shadows of the gnarled trees that seemed to be creeping up on all sides, sparse and lifeless with no leaves, despite the time of year. They almost looked like fingers, bent and ready to snatch at lost visitors.

It was with great relief that Elena finally spotted an actual house, one with lights on, perched at the side of the road, almost hidden by the looming trees. Quickly, she climbed out of the car, tucking her phone back into her pocket. She might be desperate for human contact but she wasn't stupid. These people (or person) lived in the middle of nowhere. Here there would be no-one to hear her screams. But she wasn't going to be screaming, she told herself. These were going to be nice, friendly, helpful people.

Although with the way her luck was going today they were more likely to be cannibals waiting for their next meal to come knocking on their door.

Rolling her eyes at her own morbidity, Elena crunched her way up the gravel path to ring the doorbell. It wasn't long before the door opened a crack, just wide enough for Elena to make out a small girl's face peering out suspiciously, before the door was slammed shut again.

"DAD! THERE'S A WOMAN AT THE DOOR!" Elena had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as the girl's voice reached her through the door.

This time when the door opened, it opened fully to reveal a man in a shirt with rolled up sleeves and dark jeans. "Hi there, sorry about that, Emily's wary of strangers. We don't usually get visitors out here. Can I help you?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"I hope so. I'm more than a little bit lost; could you please tell me how to get to the nearest highway?" Elena asked apologetically.

The man shook his head, a wry grin on his face. "They closed this road off; they're starting to build one that cuts straight through from city to city. The diversion will take at least a day's drive."

Elena flinched at the bad news but thanked the man for his help, and gratefully accepted his offer of a map.

"I would offer you to stay the night, but my wife's pregnant and I doubt she'll take kindly to me offering our couch out to a stranger," he explained. "But if you're looking for a place to stay there's the old boarding house, about half an hour's drive following the road, then twenty minutes down a narrow path. It's been abandoned for years, I don't know what state it's in, but there's been deliveries going down there, so someone must be opening it up again."

At this point Elena would settle for lay-by just to sleep in her car, so to hear that there might be proper accommodation was music to her ears. "That's great, thanks a lot. Sorry again for disturbing you."

"No problem, take care. And watch out for the turning on the left, it's easy to miss," was the man's parting shot as the door closed.

Feeling slightly more at ease Elena returned to her car, hoping her journey would soon be over, at least for tonight.

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><p><strong>See where this is going? Please review whether or not you do :P <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey folks! Thank you for the reviews :) I'm glad you liked the first chapter, here's the second!**

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><p>He hadn't been kidding when he said that the turn-off would be hard to spot, Elena grumbled to herself. She'd had to drive up and down the same stretch of road several times, the needle on the fuel gauge leaning worryingly close to 'E'.<p>

Gravel crunched under the wheels of the mini as Elena drove slowly up the narrow path, avoiding the many potholes that seemed to suggest the path was seldom taken. Either that or the owner of the boarding house didn't give a damn about good impressions.

Soon she came to a stop outside the building that a faded wooden sign proclaimed the 'Salvatore Boarding House'. House? she mouthed to herself. It was a mansion, for crying out loud!

Feeling more than a little bit intimidated by the sprawling building with period features and ivy climbing the walls, Elena craned her neck to see just how far it went on for. Far enough, in her opinion. When she reached the door with her bag hiked over her shoulder she was too tired to hesitate and consider whether or not it was open for business. All the signs so far seemed to indicate it wasn't, from the weeds growing in the driveway to the vast bank of darkened windows. Mind you, all the windows in the centre surrounding the main entrance were lit.

Elena yanked on the rope attached to a bell that made a substitute for a door knocker. From inside she could hear an obnoxious clanging that heralded her arrival.

Promptly the thick wooden door swung open to allow her into a wide foyer that took her breath away. The air smelled slightly musty as though dust had been stirred only recently after spending months, years, possibly even decades gathering.

"Welcome to the boarding house," a man said as the door slammed shut behind them. Elena hadn't even noticed him, hidden behind the door as he was.

"Um, hi. Could I have a room for tonight please?" Elena asked, trying to hide her shock.

"Of course. What's the name?" he questioned briskly, leading her through to what she imagined would have been a parlour in years gone by, where a desk was set up, with what looked like a brand new guestbook on it.

"Gilbert." She watched with her eyes narrowed as he flipped to the very first line on the very first page. Surely she wasn't the only guest here?

He paused; "The master is out at the moment, recruiting staff so I don't know what room to put you in."

Elena bit back an urge to question where on earth this 'master' expected to find staff to man a boarding house at this time of night. And for god's sake, shouldn't the man in front of her be able to give her room without having to clear it with his boss first? She had been driving all day, was missing out on the first day of her summer holiday with her friends, hadn't eaten since this morning and was in no mood to stand around waiting on someone that couldn't just do his job and give her a damn room already!

Even as she was thinking this a frown lined his face as he began muttering. "Welcome the guests, register the guests, assign the guests. Welcome, register, assign. Welcome register assign. I don't know where to put them!" He raised his hands to face in clear anguish, ripping at his face and into his neat beard.

Elena took a step back in alarm as he turned to her with wide eyes. His boss must be a real piece of work if he was this scared of crossing him. "Um, I really don't mind what room I get. I just need something basic," she added, hoping to ease his mind and make the apparently difficult decision of where to put her easier.

"Basic," he said flatly, his arms falling to his sides.

"Yes," Elena said firmly, wondering in the back of her mind how much exactly this pit stop was going to cost her. "What did you say your name was?"

He had turned to the desk and was rifling through the top drawer, where Elena could see a mound of keys glinting in the light. How he could tell them apart, she couldn't fathom. Finally he emerged with a small silver key and held it up triumphantly. "My name's Zach. Welcome to the boarding house. Let me show you to your room."

Elena nodded warily as he spun on his heel and lead her up a flight of wooden stairs. Zach seemed to have found his stride as he walked down the dark halls, coming to a stop in front of a panelled door that was one among many. She doubted that she would be able to tell it apart from the others if she were to leave her room at any time before she continued her journey.

Zach smiled for the first time since Elena's arrival as he handed her the key, without even testing it in the lock. "Enjoy your stay," he said warmly before disappearing down the dark corridor leaving Elena alone with her holdall digging into her shoulder as she fumbled with key in the lock.

Relieved to hear a click as the door unlocked, she pushed the door open. She really didn't fancy her chances of tracking Zach down again to get another key. Plus she wasn't sure if his mental state was stable enough to deal with another deviation from the script he was obviously working from.

Her jaw dropped as she took in the room. If this was basic, she would love to see what qualified as luxurious in this place. Dark panelling covered the lower half of the walls, the remainder being old fashioned floral wallpaper that fitted in with the rest of the decor perfectly. Next to a large bed that was calling out to Elena in her exhausted state, was a sturdy wooden nightstand with a surprisingly fresh looking pitcher of water on it with a single flower in a tiny vase delicately placed next to it. A bay window looked out over the driveway and Elena could see her car, parked rather haphazardly next to a tree, glinting silver in the light of a full moon that illuminated the room.

In the corner of the room was another door that lead to an ensuite bathroom, which Elena was relieved to see was basic enough not to warrant a massive bill in the morning. An ornate mirror over the sink reflected her tired face back to her causing her to blanch at the stringy hair that framed her sweaty face. Wasting no time Elena rooted through her hold-all to find a pair of pyjamas and her toothbrush, and returned to the bathroom to take a shower and freshen up, if only to go to bed nice and clean after.

It was only as Elena was lying in the king-size bed with her heavy eyelids beginning to droop that she noticed the curtains were closed. Shouldn't the moonlight be pouring in? Groggily she lifted her head and saw that her hold-all was now sitting on the chair in the corner, next to the wardrobe in the shadows, where her shoes were neatly aligned. Or at least, that's what she assumed the dark blobs were. Had she done that? Usually when she was this tired she just kicked her shoes off, the farther the better. And the hold-all was suspiciously flat looking. She hadn't unpacked; there was no point since this was just for one night and she'd packed enough clothes for her two-week trip. Had someone been through her belongings while she was in the shower? The room began to swim in front of her tired eyes, pushing the concern to the back of her mind. Time to sleep.

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><p><strong>Hopefully the next chapter will be longer and move the plot on a bit .Thanks again for the reviews and subscribing to story alert. More are always welcome ;)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again. Here's chapter three, a whole 1000 words longer than the last one (hopefully that's a good thing). Thanks for all the reviews so far :)**

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><p>It was after noon before Elena woke up, shocked at how long she had slept. With a groan she padded through to the bathroom, only to groan again at the bedhead hair. Ugh. If only Jeremy could see her now, a far cry from her usual sleek self and lost in the wilderness. He'd be amused for years, and have plenty of ammo for blackmail.<p>

She gave a wry grin at her reflection before taking a quick shower and checking her phone for messages. The area must have a signal, if not a particularly strong or steady one, since she had a number of messages from her aunt Jenna, Bonnie, and Jeremy, each one more concerned than the last. Rolling her eyes, she decided to take advantage of the signal to send a text to Jeremy explaining where she was, that it would take a while for her to reach them and for pity's sake, not to freak out if they couldn't reach her, the signal was crappy. Having soothed her conscience it was time to placate her growling stomach. It had been early yesterday that she had last eaten and she was positively starving. Now to play hunt the kitchen.

The floorboard outside the room creaked as Elena stepped outside and locked the door, slipping the silver key into the pocket of her faded skinny jeans that she had paired with a red tank top under a dark zip-up hoodie and her favourite pair of converse. She intended on leaving today, especially after discovering someone had been through her things whilst she was in the shower. She shuddered at the thought, and double-checked the door. Yep, definitely locked.

There was no sign of other life as she walked down the long hall and down the stairs. Zach wasn't even around to offer nervous reassurance. Again she was forced to wonder if she was the only guest here. No, scratch that, the only person here.

She found herself standing in the foyer that she had entered last night with archways leading off in both directions. Well, might as well explore. She wandered through into the parlour and stared in awe at the large room that could easily have held her entire home and noted the liquor cabinet in the corner which seemed to be well-stocked.

Returning to the foyer a set of steps leading downstairs that she hadn't noticed before caught her eye. Curious, she stepped toward them. There was something strange about it. What, she couldn't quite put her finger on. She took a step further and curled her hand around the cold iron banister.

"Looking for something?" asked an amused voice.

Elena whirled around in shock, unable to keep the guilt off her face. Or the surprise at seeing the most ridiculously good-looking man she had ever seen in the flesh. He leaned against the wall on his side, with his legs crossed at the ankles, arms folded, looking the complete picture of ease, with a raised eyebrow as he awaited her response.

"I-I was looking for the kitchen," Elena stammered, pointing over her shoulder nervously. It was the truth... sorta, kinda, maybe... not really. But he didn't need to know that. Judging from the confidence that was oozing from his lean body he must be the 'master' of the house that had Zach so tied in knots.

"Of course you were," he said drily, pushing himself off the wall. Elena could feel herself blushing as he approached; convinced she had been caught out in her snooping. "You must be Elena."

His icy blue eyes were impossible to look away from, making her jump as he brought her hand up to his smooth lips. "Pleased to meet you."

Elena had temporarily frozen, but quickly pulled herself together. "And you are?"

"Damon Salvatore." A smirk settled on his face and Elena got the feeling it was an expression she would be seeing a lot of. Realising they were still standing close together she quickly took a step back, running a hand through her air in a wasted attempt to dispel the atmosphere that was slowly building. He gave a secret smile as if he knew exactly what she was doing.

"So..." he drawled. "You were looking for something good enough to eat? Find anything?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow in a teasing manner with a self-satisfied look on his face as Elena's eyebrows rose.

She gave an internal nod to herself. He was _that_ type. The cocky, self-assured, womanising type. Briefly, she wondered what he would be like if he had inherited an ugly gene, whether he would still be as confident as he seemed to be now. "No, not a thing," she replied coldly.

"Well," he took a step closer so he was invading her personal space, his breath fluttering the hair around her face. She swallowed deeply. "_That_ would be because the kitchen is that-a-way." He slid an arm around her, placing a hand on each of her shoulders and pivoted her on the spot to face an open door, which she could have sworn had been closed before, that revealed the gleaming countertops of what was obviously a kitchen. "Now, do you think you can make it over there without me holding your hand?"

She rolled her eyes before replying sweetly, "Yes, thank you Damon" and shrugging out of his grip. He held his hands up as though in surrender.

"Any time. You need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Oh, I won't, Elena grumbled in her head as she stomped across to the kitchen. She turned back to make a point to Damon that she had made it to the room safely but was surprised to see he had already gone. Shaking her head, she entered the kitchen only to find a blonde slumped over the breakfast bar, her hair spilling across the shiny marble surface. She was lying so limply that Elena began to feel alarmed, but just as she was about to prod the girl on the arm she let out a loud snore.

Okay then. Elena tiptoed past the girl to the fridge to rummage through the contents. It surprised her how well-stocked it was, considering just last night she had been the only guest. And Damon certainly didn't keep that fit body by pigging out. Elena shook her head trying to shake out that last thought. Mind you, maybe he works off the calories. She eyed the blonde sleeping soundly. 'Finding staff', yeah right, Zach and maybe pigs can fly.

She lifted out a packet of bacon, butter and pinched a couple of slices of bread. Normally she would only have cereal for breakfast –or in this case brunch- but her stomach was crying out for something more substantial, especially if she was going to be hitting the road again today. She closed the door gently with her foot, quite keen to avoid waking up the other girl.

It was easy enough to locate a frying pan and within a few minutes Elena was leaning against the counter, tucking in to a bacon sandwich as though she hadn't eaten in months. Could she perhaps make some sandwiches for the trip? Hopefully food was included in whatever price they were going to charge her for the room. If it was, then she was certainly planning on taking advantage of it. Maybe she could even persuade Damon to give her some fuel for the car since she was pretty sure her tank was nearly empty. And even if Damon didn't have any spare, he seemed the type to have a few tricks up his sleeve. She was sure he would be able to siphon some off his own car. The only problem was whether or not he would want to help her. It didn't look like he would unless there was something in it for him, but of course she would reimburse him.

While Elena was working out how much exactly this trip was likely to cost, the blonde had woken up and was sniffing the air appreciatively.

"Whatcha eating?" she asked as though it was perfectly normal to wake up in a kitchen. Who knows, maybe for her it was. Her long blonde hair was a tangled mess and her blue dress was wrinkled from slouching. Her fingers played with a sea-green scarf that was wrapped around her neck.

Elena gulped down the last of her sandwich before replying. "Bacon sandwich. You want one?"

The girl wrinkled her nose in disgust before tilting her head. "Yeah, alright."

They got chatting as Elena made more sandwiches. It seemed the blonde was a keen gossip, and it didn't take long for Elena to find out that Caroline had been picked up by Damon at a bar, after she had broken up with her no-good boyfriend who was probably 'shacking up with some trailer trash'. Elena had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at Caroline's sneering tone. She wasn't one to judge, but it looked like Caroline's ex wasn't the only one moving on quickly. There was a rather large hickey peeking out from under Caroline's scarf.

"I mean, would it seriously be too much trouble just to make an effort every once in a while?" Caroline asked, throwing her hands up in the air expressively, rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of making an effort I really have to get going. I'm supposed to be meeting my friends for summer break. Actually, I'm already twenty-eight hours late," Elena winced.

"Ouch," Caroline sympathised. "That's waaaaay beyond fashionably late," she joked.

"Tell me about it. I'll see you later; I've got to go back." Elena made her way out, quite pleased that she had made a new friend, although Caroline would probably open up to anyone but Elena genuinely liked her.

It took a couple of tries with the key in the locks before Elena found the right room. At first glance everything seemed to be where she had left it. Relieved she gathered up her clothes out of the wardrobe and began stuffing them back into her hold-all. As if it wasn't hard enough to fit everything in the first time around, now she had to do it again. Her skin crawled as she thought of someone being in the room, going through her stuff whilst she was in the shower next door. A blush spread its way across her cheeks as she realised her underwear was in the drawer in the bedside table. Apparently nothing was private. She couldn't wait to get out of this place.

She hitched the bag on her shoulder, gave the room another once-over to make sure she hadn't left anything and then proceeded downstairs. It all seemed like a really bad movie. The foolish heroine ending up stranded in a strange place, with strange people. So she would indulge her flair for the dramatic. Hopefully she could just leave, never to return.

Reaching the foyer she let her bag fall to the floor with a loud thump. "Zach?" she called. "I'm ready to leave now." Elena pulled out her wallet and dug out the cash she had withdrawn before her trip that had been intended for fuel, food and tacky souvenirs from petrol stations on the road. Hopefully it would be enough.

When she looked up though, it wasn't Zach she came face to face with. Damon was standing in front of her, perfectly comfortable in his all-black ensemble. On any other guy it would have looked as though they were on their way to a funeral but he seemed to inject life into the colour, as weird as that sounded. Elena flinched at his sudden appearance. Did no-one in this place make a sound? The silence was deafening.

"May I help you?" he asked silkily. How the hell did he manage to make that sound flirty?

"I just need to pay for the room, then I'll be off," Elena replied stiffly. There was something off about him. The way he suddenly appears, swiftly and noiselessly... Don't be daft Elena. You're probably getting paranoid from driving alone all that time.

He tilted his head, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Yeah, you're not going anywhere."

"What do you mean?" Elena asked warily, her senses shooting into overdrive.

"That is your car outside? The mini?" he asked although it seems to be more of a rhetorical question since Elena's the only one he isn't familiar with. As Elena nodded, wondering where he was going with this, he continued. "The one with the flat tyre?"

Her face morphed into a horrified scowl before changing into a smug smile. "We'll see about that."

She threw open the front door and marched over to her car as Damon watched on, with a semi-puzzled, semi-amused expression. True enough; the front tyre was practically resting on the steel rim of the wheel. But curiously she didn't lose her satisfied expression.

Instead she popped open the trunk of her car and removed a suitcase, then the base, followed by a spare tyre that she rolled along the gravel, pausing only to tie her hair back and toss Damon her own smirk. He merely looked back, his brows furrowed in a dark glare, as he turned on his heel and let the door slam behind him. Elena rolled her eyes. She guessed he was pissed off at not getting another night's rent from her.

Dismissing his moderate temper tantrum, she set to work, hefting a car jack across to the front. It was times like these she was grateful she had dated Matt, who had been keen to share his love of cars. Those many hours of boredom were now paying off. A short time later, she stood back to survey her handiwork and returned the contents of the trunk to where they belonged. She ran back inside and grabbed her bag, tossing it in the back seat of the car. Damon had missed his chance to accept the rent.

Satisfied, she turned the key in the ignition. Only to hear the engine cough and splutter. She sighed as she banged her head against the steering wheel. Damn it.

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><p><strong>Okay so in this chapter you saw the beauty side of Damon. Soon you'll see the beast side. Please review and let me know what you thought! <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for the reviews last chapter! **

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><p>Elena stormed back into the house, letting the door slam behind her, making the glass shake in the panels. She stomped through to the parlour where Damon was apparently reading a book, lounging on the couch, one arm sticking out with the silver key to her room swinging from his little finger. Huffing, Elena reached over and snatched it from him, marching straight back into the hall to pick up both her suitcase and bag.<p>

She heard his snort of laughter as she made her way past the parlour door, trying her best to look dignified despite her failed attempt at freedom. It also didn't help that her face was all sweaty and her hands all greasy. And she guessed she could expect a bruise on her forehead after all the frustrated head banging off the wheel. Well, she wryly thought to herself, it was worth a shot. At the very least she seemed to have provided the entertainment for the day. As if Damon needed another excuse to look down on her.

With a heavy heart she unpacked her belongings, putting her clothes away in the wardrobe and lining up her shoes by the window. She tossed her leather jacket over the ornate padded chair in the corner. A loud beep from her phone caught her attention and she felt her eyes roll skywards. Could this trip get any more disastrous? The red blinking battery in the display corner signalled its slow demise. "Great. Just great." She chucked the offending item onto the bed where it bounced happily as though mocking her.

After searching through all the secret pockets in her suitcase and rifling through her hold-all Elena was resigned to the fact that her phone charger was nowhere to be found. Once again she found herself trekking out to the car, hoping she would find it in the glove compartment. If not she was well and truly screwed. A quick frisk of the glove compartment yielded no results, other than the car manual which gave no helpful advice whatsoever. Peeling up the car mats only served to highlight it was time for her to hoover out her car. But just as she was returning them to their places a glint of silver caught her eye.

Reaching behind the brake her fingers touched what felt like cool metal. Sticking her tongue out in conversation, Elena wiggled her arm in further. Almost there... Her fingers scrabbled in thin air before closing around cold metal links. Withdrawing her hand she rocked back on her haunches. Tears pricked her eyes as she took in the sight of what to anyone else, would look like a simply grimy piece of jewellery. To Elena it was so much more than that. It was the last birthday present her parents had given to her. She had lost it soon after and had been too ashamed to confess to them that she had been so careless. Just seeing it there brought back memories of their smiling faces. Her dad's stern face coupled with his laughing his eyes and her mom's bubbly laugh.

Elena dusted off the charm bracelet with a watery smile, before slipping it into her pocket. She was going to take better care of it this time around. She needed all the luck she could get at the moment. It was times like these she missed her parents the most. If they'd have been there she could have called them and no matter what they would have been there to bail her out, true it might have been with a few harsh words, but they'd have been there. But then, that was what had eventually killed them wasn't it?

She pressed her hands to her head massaging her temple. Don't start this again she told herself firmly. What happened happened. There's nothing you can do to change that. All you can do is avoid making those stupid mistakes again.

She pulled herself back onto her feet and locked her car behind her. Even though she must have left her phone charger at home she was pleased with her find, even if the bracelet's clasp was broken, which was probably why she'd lost it in the first place. As soon as she reached a town she'd visit a jeweller's to get it fixed.

Until then she would just have to kill time at the boarding house. She couldn't find the landline telephone or a phonebook to look up a mechanic and of course, now that she needed to ask Damon a question he was nowhere to be found. She shot a glare at the building as though it was somehow responsible for the predicament she was in. The only obvious pastime she could think of at the moment was exploring. Especially since Damon had interrupted her earlier.

All the rooms on the first floor were locked, much to Elena's disappointment. It certainly made exploring dull. The long hallway was dark and as much as Elena hated to admit it, it sent chills up her back. Would it kill them to put a window in here? Resigned to searching the ground floor Elena turned to go downstairs. Just as she was making her way down a door opened behind her, for a moment her heart pounded in fear that it was Damon going to tell her off for abusing his warped sense of hospitality. Instead Caroline came out of what Elena guessed must be her room. Huh. She had just assumed that Caroline would leave since Damon had picked her up a bar. Not that she was complaining, she could certainly use the company. The stale silence was already beginning to get to her.

Caroline shot Elena a friendly smile as she joined her on the landing. "What have you been up to?" she asked.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Searching for a phone charger. My phone's on its last legs."

Caroline nodded sympathetically. It was only then that Elena noticed that the other girl had changed her clothes.

"Sorry, but are you going to be staying here?" Elena asked hopefully.

"Yes," Caroline beamed. "I'm so glad that there's another girl here. I don't think Damon could cope with my chatter all by himself." She gave a laugh and shake of her head that sent her freshly curled hair bouncing on her shoulders.

Elena could certainly understand why someone would get fed up with her gossiping. It was all she could do at some points not to cover her ears and yell ENOUGH ALREADY! and that was only day one of knowing Caroline. She wondered just what exactly Damon and Caroline's relationship was. No doubt Caroline would tell her soon enough.

"Where did you and Damon meet?" Elena asked, unable to fully contain her curiosity as the pair made their way downstairs. There wasn't exactly a local bar where they could have met, which also made this a rather strange place for a boarding house, she noted.

Caroline frowned for a moment, tilting her head. "You know, I can't quite remember. It was last night... we went back to my place... I picked up some clothes... well; I must have 'cos I have them. God, I must have been totally out of it!" She shook her head and let out a giggle before pouting. "I wish I could remember the finer details though."

Elena subtly pretended not to hear this last comment as she made her way into the kitchen, pulling up a stool. Subtlety, however, was lost on Caroline.

"I mean, come on, you can just tell he must be good. He ain't no choir boy," the blonde babbled, seemingly oblivious to Elena's apprehensive expression. She wasn't blind and there was no denying how attractive their host was, but she didn't want to discuss it in his own domain, where he could walk in at any moment. At least Caroline had an excuse to drool over him. Elena had to bite her tongue and nod and agree.

The whole time Caroline was talking she fingered the edges of the scarf she was wearing, despite the warm summer heat. The edges were becoming frayed from her incessant worrying of the fabric. Each time she gave a particularly vicious tug it rose slightly, before she quickly smoothed it back down, meticulously making sure it covered her neck in its entirety.

In a desperate bid to change the topic of conversation from how hot their suspiciously absent host with the uncanny ability to sneak up on people when they least wanted him to was, Elena commented "That's a really nice scarf but aren't you roasted?" punctuating her point by fanning herself with a tanned hand. There was also the slight concern that Caroline might get too carried away with what she was saying and cut off her own oxygen supply, both by talking too fast and by strangling herself. Every time she mentioned Damon's piercing blue eyes she had a tendency to yank on both ends of the scarf, tightening it around her throat.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Duh. Of course, I'm sweating like a pig!" Her nose scrunched in disgust. "A very stylish pig, though," she added as an afterthought.

Elena flicked the fringed end of the scarf with a confused smile. "Here's an idea, ditch the neck-warmer!"

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Caroline raised her hands to her neck before freezing. "I can't," she whispered, her eyes blank. All previous animation fled, leaving her pale and frozen, her hands hovering an inch from her neck. She frantically searched her mind for a logical reason why she couldn't remove it, but came up with nothing. Yet just the idea of removing it sent chills through her, panic rising in her stomach.

Beside her Elena scrutinised her. The alarm was clear on Caroline's face and she couldn't understand it. It looked like her hands were coming up against an invisible wall, maybe she was a mime artist in a previous life. Truth be told, she a little unnerved by Caroline's behaviour. One minute she was bubbly, the next she was panicking about removing a scarf. And judging by the length of her dress, showing more skin wasn't the issue. "Do you want me to help you with it?" Elena offered, hoping this would get around whatever the problem seemed to be.

Caroline tilted her head, considering if that would work. The raging nerves in her stomach seemed to have paused so she nodded her head tightly. "Yes, please," she said weakly as she shuffled over to Elena.

Elena confidently grasped the scarf and carefully unwound it from Caroline's neck. What it revealed made her gasp out loud in horror.

"Care! What the hell happened to you?"

There were large furious bruises on either side of her neck, deep purple and red, punctuated by large scores ending in bloody scars that seemed ready to reopen at any minute. If it weren't for the marks (teeth imprints?) it might have passed for a huge hickey but they added a sinister meaning that sent Elena reeling backwards, colliding with the counter behind her, a shaking hand firmly pressed to her mouth.

Caroline twisted her head awkwardly trying to see what the fuss was about. "What? What? What is it? Do I have zits or something?"

The movement made Elena flinch as she saw the skin separating at the scars, fresh blood starting to glisten. "Stay still!" she ordered, scurrying around the breakfast bar to grab a spoon from the drawer, causing Caroline to raise a perfectly shaped eyebrow quizzically.

"Really, I don't know what to say, Elena. Our relationship is moving so fast, first stripping then the gift of cutlery," Caroline joked, putting a hand to her heart, batting her eyelashes.

Elena rolled her eyes and handed her the spoon. "Look, look at your neck. How can that not be hurting you right now?"

Confused, Caroline dropped her joke, and grabbed the spoon instead, tilting it to see her reflection. The silverware fell to the floor with a clatter as she jumped off of the stool, her hands winding the scarf back around her throat, eyes darting around the room searching for answers. Her bottom lip trembled as she stammered "I can't... I can't remember. I didn't even know that was there... But how couldn't I know that was there?"

In that instant Caroline looked so unlike the chatty, confident girl Elena had met that morning, instead reduced to near-tears and looking as vulnerable as a newborn bird that Elena felt determined to do something. There could only be one person that left those marks as it looked recent and she'd be damned if she let him get away with it.

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><p><strong>For some reason this was a tough one to write... Please review and let me know what you thought.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

The night following Elena's grisly discovery was not a restful one for the brunette. All she could think of was how far Damon might go in terrorising Caroline. He had obviously scared her, whether or not she could remember what happened. Maybe he had hit her head and that was why she couldn't remember. Or maybe she was covering for him even yet. But she had seemed so genuinely alarmed...

By the next morning Elena had worked herself into a towering rage. If Jeremy had been there he would have recognised the warning signs that sent him ducking to his room for cover. The flared nostrils, clenched fists and deep frown lines were all clear indicators that Elena was on the war path. It was very rare for this mood to dissipate without an explosion of some sort, and it usually claimed a fair few victims on the way. One time Elena had poured milk all over his CD player when they were only kids when he had insisted on playing the same track over and over and over again. Needless to say she had gotten into more trouble than he had, and the plan had backfired somewhat, since he'd gotten an upgrade for a replacement. However, now Elena was older her temper was all the more potent. Especially after having the night to let it stew.

Elena thundered up the wooden staircase barely pausing for breath. Fury clouded her judgement and blinded her to the usual factors to consider. If Damon was capable of hurting Caroline he wouldn't have a problem hurting her. Could she really afford to piss off the person whose house she was staying in for the foreseeable future? None of these worries registered as she reached the upstairs hallway. She didn't have a clue which room was Damon's but funnily enough there was only one wooden door open, a sliver of light mockingly inviting her to dispel the dark cloud that had possessed her.

She strode over to the door and flung it open, causing it to slam against the wall. "Well?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

Damon barely glanced from an oversized television screen to Elena before looking back to the programme. He was casually lying on a massive bed with his arms propped behind his head, legs lazily crossed at the ankles. His lazy attitude did nothing to quell Elena's anger, only fuelling it further. "A hole dug or drilled into the ground, usually to draw up some form of liquid, most commonly water," he replied, staring all the while at the screen.

Her mouth dropped open, aghast at him. "I'm referring to what you've done to Caroline,' she said tersely from between clenched teeth.

"Oh, that." He sneaked a glance at her from the corner of his eye. Yep, she was definitely going to explode. He gave a little shrug, turning the volume on the television up.

Big mistake. He was _not_ getting away with dismissing this that easily.

"Yes! That!" Elena reached down and yanked off one of her converse and threw it straight at Damon, smacking him right in the centre of his forehead. Instantly he bolted upright. A hard look morphed his laid-back face into a tense mask of barely concealed fury that more than dwarfed Elena's. She immediately regretted the hot-headed move and made to back away, turning to run out the door.

Before she could a large hand reached out in front of her, forcefully closing the door with an ominous 'click'. She screwed her eyes shut as she leaned forwards, resting her head against the smooth wooden surface, mentally kicking herself.

"You _really_ shouldn't have done that," Damon all but snarled in a low voice right next to her ear.

Her heart felt like it was pounding in her throat, clambering to be released, to make a bid for freedom. Bile seemed to be linked to this sensation and she had to fight the urge to throw up all over Damon's designer boots that she could feel chafing at the back of her heels. She fought to suppress the shiver of repulsion that washed over her as she felt his toned chest press against her back, pushing her closer to the door that she desperately wanted to be on the other side of. He was right: she shouldn't have picked a fight with someone clearly stronger than she was.

Suddenly he placed his hands on her shoulders, creating burning patches that tingled on her skin, and yanked her around to face him, slamming her back against the door, forcing a huff of breath out of her. Was it wrong for her to be glad she'd already cleaned her teeth this morning? How horrible a human being did it make her that she was seriously attracted to the man standing in front of her? She felt slightly more assured of her sanity when she felt the now familiar lurch of panic as he grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

He seemed to study her intently, taking in every detail of her face before sweeping his gaze over her body, sending pins and needles down to her toes. Curiously what he saw seemed to cause him pain, as his arms weakened, albeit only slightly, on either side of Elena. She held her breath, wary of provoking him with the slightest movement.

"You remind of her so much," he said, voice even as he tilted Elena's chin this way and that. "You could be Katherine's twin." A hint of disgust edged into his tone.

Defiant, Elena yanked her chin free from his grip, possibly surprising herself as much as him. "I am Elena," she snapped. "_Not_ Katherine. Not anyone else."

It irked her to have her individuality questioned, just as it pissed her off to be at the mercy of someone else. She raised her knee sharply, aiming to jab him in the sensitive spot but Damon reacted quickly by pushing himself flush against her, forcing her leg into a collision with his which created a tangle of limbs. Despairingly she thumped on his chest with her fists, pouring all her effort into shifting this creepy moron with a clear hang-up on an ex _off-of- her_. All that happened was that her hands bounced off and she was certain she would have bruises in a matter of hours. Panting, she slowed down, tired from struggling.

Damon barely seemed to register her blows, waiting until she was done before pinning her arms above her head by the wrists, a wry smirk on his face. "Was that good for you? 'Cos I have to say I think we can do better. There _are_ other ways to vent your frustration." His eyes narrowed suggestively as he rocked her gently.

Elena glowered at him before opening her mouth to scream-

"That's not going to do a bit of good," Damon tsked. He jerked his head to the side before whispering in a confidential manner. "The walls are sound-proofed in here. I wouldn't want to encourage voyeurism. I'm more of a participation enthusiast myself."

Elena let her mouth fall closed, a scowl clear on her face. "Let me go. Right. Now."

Damon scoffed. "Or what?"

Frantically Elena racked her brain. It was hard to think with her heart thumping out a hollow in her chest, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end._ Remember why you got into this mess..._

Triumphantly she came up with her answer. "I'll go the police. I'll tell them what you did to Caroline!"

There. She'd laid her cards on the table. Of course, she'd have to get out of here to get to the police but hopefully he wouldn't consider that and just accept the threat.

But instead of looking suitably intimidated by her threat, Damon merely raised an eyebrow as if to say 'that all you got?' and even had the audacity to look amused.

"You mean you'll tell the police that I did this?"

As soon as the words left his mouth Elena knew she was in trouble. It was stupid of her not to consider the arrogant asshole would take her threat as a challenge. She half-heartedly tried to wriggle loose but his grip on her wrists only tightened.

She watched in a sort of fascinated horror as he lowered his head to the column of her neck, placing cool butterfly kisses down her throat. Transferring her wrists into one hand, he used the freed one to slide aside her shirt to reveal her collarbone where he teased the skin by pressing a lingering kiss there. Elena's breath hitched in a body's betrayal to her mind. Her legs wriggled uselessly against Damon's only causing the denim of her jeans to burn against her legs.

"And this?" he murmured into her skin, before she felt a light pressure as he nibbled her neck.

Damon leaned against Elena, letting her know he could hear her heart's attempt to break through her ribcage and hiding his face, giving her a view of his silken black hair, his arms entwined with hers as he kept her in place.

"And this?" he asked, lifting his head.

This time there was no stopping her scream that burst from her lungs. His eyes were large and round, bloodshot with massive pupils and surrounded by raised veins that looked like worms writhing beneath the skin. Elena threw her body to the side, trying in despair to use her legs as leverage to push herself away from him, from _it._

Fangs protruded from his mouth as he lunged towards her throat, cutting her off mid-scream, replacing the high, shrill noise with a disgusting slurping, sucking one.

The pain broke through Elena's terror but only served to throw her mind out of her body. It felt so surreal. She screwed up her eyes in agony as she felt her blood being pulled from her being, trying to convince herself it wasn't happening.

_This is just a nightmare. I'll wake up and Jenna will shout that I'm running late for school and Jeremy will have used up all the hot water and I'll get a speeding fine but I'll make it just in time._

Her eyes flew open as the pain twisted into a sharp stinging sensation as Damon twisted against her neck, ripping into her flesh. Black dots danced in front of her eyes while she felt herself drift, the only noise she could hear being a high-pitched ringing. It felt like she had run a marathon, sweat prickled her forehead as she burned up as her blood pressure fell down.

Finally the black dots merged together and she fell to the floor limply at Damon's feet.

Damon stepped back, wiping his bloodied mouth on the back of his hand, observing the huddled body on his bedroom floor. Rolling his eyes he bent over and roughly scooped her up into his arms before dumping her on his bed. Idly he registered she looked good there; albeit a little pale. He noted her fluttering eyelids, and pinched the bridge of his nose, preparing for the inevitable screaming fit. Mind you, she might surprise him. She certainly had when she came to defend her newfound friend, never mind arguing with him when he had her right where he wanted her.

Smirking, he dashed over to the other side of the bed, propping his head up on his elbow as he assumed a position next to Elena. He watched in amusement as her eyes flashed open, staring at the ceiling before rotating round to find him lying beside her.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

And there was the screaming as he expected. Good to know he still knew how to play this game even if the players weren't co-operating. He rolled over and clamped a hand over her mouth.

Blue eyes widened above Elena, fixing her in place. They pulsed above and drew her into their depths that seemed to be conveying a message. Everything around her fell away. The only thing of any importance was the message. She almost craved to hear it, she felt like her mind was empty, just space waiting, needing, to be filled with a purpose.

A low persuasive voice enlightened her as to what that purpose was. "You'll forget what happened here today. You'll assume Caroline's bruises were caused by someone else and that I saved her from them at the bar. You'll wear a scarf because you feel the cold at night and want to avoid sunstroke in the daylight." There was a pause. "You won't leave these grounds until I allow you to."

He flopped onto his back and added, "Go to your room and forget this conversation."

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><p>Elena found herself standing in front of her bedroom mirror admiring the way her green scarf complimented her light blue shirt, thinking herself lucky to have found a safe place to stay until she could find a way home. Maybe she wouldn't rush to find the way.<p>

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><p><strong>Thank you for all the reviews and story alerts so far, always room for more! ;)<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Um, short chapter, but meh.**

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><p>It was Monday and Elena was still at the boarding house. Her phone had long since run out of battery and her family and friends were probably fretting about where she'd got to. Or they'd better be, she grumbled to herself. If they were busy having fun while she was stuck in this gloomy hell hole then she was going to disown them. Huffing she blew a strand of long hair off her face. Loud music thumped through the floor and was giving her a headache. Her present housemates were having a party between the two of them. Zach had seemingly vanished. She hadn't seen him since the night she arrived. Well at least someone had managed to escape. She kind of wished he'd offered her a lift or a tow to the nearest civilisation though.<p>

There was a brief pause between songs and Elena used it to sigh before the next track came on, blaring at full volume. She didn't dare venture downstairs. When she had gone down to get a meal she had seen a lot more of Caroline than she bargained for, as she and Damon 'danced' around the living room, hence Elena's self-inflicted isolation. However she had snagged a beer to make the day more bearable. She took a loud slurp from the bottle, not bothering with manners since she was well and truly alone. Nothing like being a third wheel to highlight loneliness.

Apparently the house didn't have a landline. Bullshit. Elena stretched out across the double bed with a yawn. How did Damon arrange for groceries to be delivered if he didn't have a phone? Landline or cell, he could, no, should, have offered to call a mechanic. Caroline also didn't have her phone with her, which struck Elena as odd, seeing how Care seemed to be such a social butterfly. It must be killing her to be so isolated. Mind you, she seemed to be connecting pretty well with a certain lady-killer. Either way, Caroline was screwed. Elena gave a dark chuckle that turned into a snort. Maybe she'd had enough beer for now. Knowing Damon it would probably be triple strength stuff.

She felt like pounding the walls with her fists. Boredom had set in days ago and she was this close to losing her mind. Just the sight of the floral wallpaper she had initially liked now made her want to vomit. It felt like she could probably leave and in forty years time replicate the exact same pattern to perfection. Oh, how she wanted to leave. At this point she would happily resort to Grand Theft Auto and hijack Damon's car. She had seen the car sitting outside the garage yesterday so she knew one existed. From the looks of it Damon looked after his car(s?) and she was willing to bet that it would have a full tank of gas just waiting to power the path to freedom.

Sod it. She would give it a try whilst Damon was otherwise occupied. For once Elena was happy to support the objectification of women. The feminist inside her let out a baleful howl. Note to self: burn bra as penance for betrayal of beliefs. She took another quick glug of the bitter tasting beer for courage, wiping her mouth on the back of her arm.

The music was loud enough to cover the noise of her door creaking over and the rattle of the key in the lock. There hadn't been a time since the first night that her door was unlocked. She even left the key in the door in case Zach or Damon had a spare and tried to use it. She shook her head as she considered the lengths she had to go to just to feel safe.

Tip-toeing down the stairs, she made a mental of every step that creaked, causing her to flinch every time, even though the pulsating music droned on, making her eardrums beg for mercy. She quickly darted past the doorway to the room where Damon and Caroline were bumping and grinding; bottles of beer clutched in their hands, and ran out the front door, being careful to click it closed gently.

Outside the air felt cool against her skin and she heaved a breath of much needed fresh air. Here the music was reduced to a dull throbbing noise that was barely noticeable amongst the hooting of owls as darkness slowly swept across the sky.

Barely sparing a second glance for the boarding house, Elena crouched down and sprinted awkwardly across the grounds to the garage doors on the far side, they were so tall they were more like an entrance to a barn. Maybe it was a renovated barn. She had no idea how old the building was. Reaching up she grasped the large brass handles and yanked with all her might, almost tasting freedom on her tongue.

Nothing.

The doors didn't have the decency to budge even just an inch. Gits.

Dejected, Elena kicked the gravel that paved the driveway, sending up a cloud of dust that concealed all that she was running from. If only it were that easy. She wished she could just click her heels together and whisper "There's no place like home", but alas, things were never that easy. As the dust cleared she was left with her very own white gravel road, illuminated by the lights in the room where Damon and Caroline occasionally cast a shadow dancing across the ground.

Just as Elena was mentally preparing to re-commit herself to her floral cell, she caught sight of a car sitting at the edge of the gravel, just under the trees of the woods that encroached upon the Salvatore grounds. Jackpot! The muffled sounds of music and laughter told her that she was good to go for grand theft auto.

A last glance at the window and she was off, running unashamedly towards the vehicle that was her one-way ticket out of there. Her feet crunched the little stones noisily, her leather jacket flapping around her arms as she set her sights on the car. Her breath came out in little puffs of condensation in the cool night air. It was shocking how unfit she'd become after just a few months off from cheerleading.

Her legs worked hard to carry her across the property... almost there... SLAM.

Elena's feet stuck to the ground as though they were nailed in place, making her fall backwards onto the damp ground as she windmilled her arms in an attempt to compensate. Shock washed over her as she lay on her back, limbs trembling at the impact. What the hell? Shakily she pulled herself up into a standing position, tugging her long hair behind her ears as she scrutinised the darkness in front of her. There was nothing there that could have tripped her. The only thing different was the gravel had given way to solid tarmac that signalled a return to the path out of here. The car sat just out of reach at the side of the smooth road.

Ugh. Shaking her head, Elena strode forward only to encounter the same problem. This time her feet stayed in place whilst she wobbled precariously. Confused, she tried to step forward, nudging her right leg. It was as if her legs were made of concrete, they felt so heavy and unwilling to bend to her will. Sluggishly her left leg moved forward to line up with the right, but wouldn't make that little extra step onto the tarmac. Anxiety started to build up. What was going on? Elena waved first one hand, then another and then her arms across the boundary line with no problem. Yet every time she tried to shift her whole self across her body refused to cooperate.

She strained against the invisible barrier that seemed to be restricting her legs, sweat beading across her forehead with the effort, blood rushing to her face. Excruciating pain flowed from her toes to her thighs as she felt the burning of trying to pull her body apart.

Finally she collapsed in a heap on the ground, tears of frustration trickling down her cheeks as she stared silently down the road that she desperately wished she was on.

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><p>Back in her room Elena lay on her bed staring hopelessly at the ceiling, beer back in hand. It wasn't like her to mope, but dammit, she was so confused right now. Everything seemed to be going wrong. Every single attempt to leave this dull, gloomy and quite frankly boring, yet somehow creepy, house ended in failure. Elena was not used to failing. Just last week she had been looking forward to mucking around with her friends at the lake in the warm summer sunshine. Now she was avoiding watching two other people getting hot and heavy. The only use she would have for her sunglasses would be to block any accidental glimpses of potentially mentally scarring images of her new friend and her... whatever getting it on.<p>

A headache started to encroach upon her thoughts, scattering them like leaves in the wind. She groaned and yelled aloud 'Damn it!'

All her thoughts were messed up. It had to be more than just alcohol. She fingered the scarf that was wound around her neck with a frown. Why the hell did she need a scarf indoors? No amount of fashion points would make up for the lack of comfort. She tried to flick it off but her hands paused of their own accord and refused to go any further. Tears of frustration pricked her eyes. _What's happening to me?_

She tried to recall if she had had a bad fall recently that might explain her appalling motor skills, but came up with a blank. Literally. She couldn't remember most of the weekend. The realisation hit her hard, her pulse thumping in her ears. What was going on? Shaking, she rolled onto her side, tears finally oozing out and trailing a path down her face. Through the watery haze she managed to make out the glint of her bracelet sitting on the bedside table, the one piece of home she had left. Seeking comfort she reached out and held it as she fell asleep.

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><p><strong>Thanks again for the reviews for last chapter :) Please review this one too, the button's ticklish!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Here we go...**

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><p>Elena tilted her wrist in the morning sunlight, twisting it this way and that, letting her bracelet shine in the light. Almost a year under a pedal hadn't helped it, but it didn't look too bad, even with a piece of string holding it together. Either way, it was the best she could do under the circumstances so she tugged her sleeve down over it, lest Caroline berate her for crimes against style.<p>

Rolling her eyes Elena made her way to the kitchen for dinner. The food stash had dropped so it would mean another delivery soon. And another delivery meant people... with a vehicle. A smile crossed her face as she grabbed a jar of sauce and a packet of ravioli. Perfect.

Sadly dinners and dish-washing could only take up so much time, and time was the one thing Elena had plenty of since there didn't seem to be any quick way of getting out this mess. She hefted an enormous sigh, her shoulders rising and falling.

"Are you trying to create a hurricane in here?" Damon sauntered in though the door, sniffing the air before catching sight of the jar of sauce on the granite counter. He scowled as though it had committed a crime against humanity by simply sitting there. "Did you use... _premade sauce_?"

His voice was absolutely scandalised and sent a wave of shame over Elena, even though she had no idea what his problem with convenience was. Mind you, he probably didn't give a damn about convenience, since he lived out in the middle of nowhere with no landline telephones or internet connection. What kind of culinary snob was she staying with?

"Yes!" she cried, throwing her hands up, unable to withstand his accusing blue stare any longer. "I used the sauce. And I liked it." She crossed her arms defiantly, flicking him dirty look.

Nonplussed, Damon took a step closer. "Was it good?"

"Perfect."

He took another step closer, so close she could make out each dark eyelash; so long they were wasted on a man. "See, there's the difference. If you'd done it my way, it would have been _sublime._"

Elena raised her eyebrows as she skirted around him to hang the dish towel on the radiator to dry. His presence was enough to send her thoughts scattering and she didn't like it. She preferred her thoughts nice and neat, thank you very much. However, at the back of her mind she registered a thrill at the disruption, like the one you get when jumping into piles of autumn leaves, kicking them into the air in flashes of red and gold.

Just as she was processing these unwanted thoughts Damon shifted away to lean on the counter, a tight grin on his face as though he could tell what Elena was feeling. But that was impossible. There was no way he could possibly know that her heart was jumping in her chest, her palms prickling with a light sheen of sweat or that she suddenly felt on edge whenever he directed so much as a glance in her direction. It almost felt like fear. Why was she afraid of him?

Frowning, she added that feeling to the growing pile in the back of her mind.

"What's the face for? Trying to kill me with your glower power?" Damon interrupted her confusion with his teasing.

"Ha, ha." Elena swiped at his arm, slapping him playfully, only laughing genuinely when he pouted and nursed his arm as though she had hurt him, rather than his arm hurting her hand. His arm felt solid, despite his thin frame, and Elena quickly shook her head to clear out any wanton thoughts before they had a chance to form.

He pouted for a few moments before returning to lean against the counter. "So... Blondie and I were thinking the other night we really don't know you that well. We were hoping that you would rectify that situation." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively as if this would involve more than talking.

Warily Elena took a step closer, willing to play his game if only to show that she knew exactly what he was up to. "And what, exactly, would that entail?" she asked, tracing patterns in the countertop, whilst looking up at him from under her eyelashes.

Slowly a smirk spread across Damon's face as he realised she was up for playing his game. The gleam in his eyes sent a crackle of electricity through the air as Elena met his gaze, raising her eyebrows loftily as she folded her arms across her chest. "Anything?" she asked, as she shifted trying to dispel the awkward feeling she was being scrutinised.

"It would involve alcohol and soul-baring." Damon leaned forward to push a loose strand of hair out of Elena's eyes just as he said 'baring'. Little shivers trickled their way down her back and she had to bite her lip to prevent a sigh escaping. "Mostly on your part though," he clarified with a smile that promised she would regret ever stumbling into his strange game. It seemed to have the aim of unnerving the opponent by whatever means necessary. It just so happened that he had an arsenal of weapons at his disposal.

Elena took a deep steadying breath, before lifting her gaze to meet his. "Do your worst," she challenged.

He gave a dark chuckle. "Did you really expect anything less?" Damon reached past Elena to slide open a drawer and grabbed a bottle opener. "Shall we?" he asked, holding out his arm, bent at the elbow.

Elena hesitated for only a second before accepting the offer, flicking her long hair over her shoulder. If she was going down, might as well jump, at least that way she had a modicum of control over the situation. Mind you, she couldn't say it would stay that way if Damon and Caroline were going to be plying her with alcohol all night. However backing down now wasn't an option. It would be akin to chickening out of a dare, and everyone knows the forfeit is always worse.

In the parlour Caroline let out a squeal of delight when she saw Elena was going to join their little drinking game. At least, Elena hoped it was only drinking. She wasn't sure how much debauchery she could stand to witness. Smiling only slightly nervously, she made her way over to the settee, shuffling backwards until she felt the cushions supporting at her back. She had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

Caroline quickly shoved a glass into Elena's hand and plopped down beside her, positively radiating enthusiasm as Damon raided a suspiciously well-stocked drinks cabinet, surfacing with a few bottles that clinked with every step he took towards the girls, only pausing when he stopped to kick the door closed with his foot, his eyes never leaving the pair.

Already Elena was feeling nervous. What was the worst question they could ask? Really? There was nothing to be afraid of. A voice at the back of her head scoffed at this thought. The goosebumps were already breaking out across her skin. Again, she got the feeling that she should be afraid of Damon, but she couldn't quite determine why.

Trying to ignore her inexplicable paranoia, she accepted a shot of whisky poured by Damon.

Hours later...

"I used to be fun. I did!" Elena emphasised as though someone had tried to doubt her statement.

"So what happened to turn you into a boring bore?" Caroline asked. "And I say that with complete sensitivity." She had the decency to look suitably apologetic as she raised a bottle to her lips to cover her awkwardness.

Elena snorted and exchanged a smirk with Damon. "Caroline, you are many things, but sensitive isn't one of them."

Caroline pouted, crossing her arms across herself, before nodding in agreement. "Okay. Point taken. So what am I then?"

"Blonde and buxom!" Damon toasted her, taking a swig from his beer, sending a lascivious wink in her direction. Caroline immediately fell into a bout of giggles, occasionally interrupted with a hiccup which only made her giggle more whilst Damon and Elena watched, eyebrows raised.

Elena turned to face him, angling her body so she was lounging across from him. "So if she's blonde and buxom, what am I?"

"You," he leaned over and tapped her nose, laughing as she wrinkled it in response, "are... a hot-headed honey." He leaned back to rest against the couch, his arms crossed smugly over his chest as Elena's mouth dropped open comically.

"A hot-headed honey? What does that mean?" she asked, almost snappishly. Sure, Caroline got the compliments on her appearance and Elena got told she was an impatient airhead.

Damon raised his eyebrows as she proves the point he was making. "It means," he drawled, "that you are quick to rush into things without thinking through the consequences and are passionate about those you care about but have a hint of sweetness about you." He paused to allow what he saying to sink in. "It also means you have a fiery temper that a guy could burn himself on." He quirked his eyebrow as he stared intently into Elena's dark eyes, that quickly dropped to the floor as she swallowed deeply.

Damn Damon, drink and ... another 'd' word. Her head was foggy with the drink that Damon kept flowing freely, not caring about ages. She knew there was something she liked about him. The hangover the next day probably wouldn't share the sentiment though.

"How would you know?" she pouted. "You've never seen me mad."

If Damon had pissed her off enough to warrant a reaction Elena was willing to bet that she would remember the fall-out as she wasn't one to let things slide and Damon was the kind of person to give as good as he got. It would be a bitter battle to the end. Idly, she noticed her drunken doppelganger liked alliteration. Good to know, she supposed.

Beside her on the floor where she and Damon had ended up slouching with their backs against the settee where Caroline was lounging, he gave her a knowing glance. "I have so," he informed her. "It's like seeing a chipmunk on acid."

Elena's jaw dropped open , forming a perfect 'o' before she clamped it shut, folding her arms across her chest while Caroline peeled into another fit of laughter.

"Just like that!" Caroline slurred pointing at her friend.

Huffing Elena took another swig from the bottle, turned out Damon did have a little appreciation for convenience, with the pile of bottles stacking up around them and the glasses long since discarded. For a moment she struggled with her curiosity but quickly caved in. "At least tell me what you did!" Elena exclaimed.

Adopting a bored expression Damon rotated his wrist holding the beer as he launched into a monotone recital. "I woke up this morning, which involved opening my eyes, folding the duvet back, standing up, taking approximately twenty-six steps to the bathroom where I-"

"That's enough!" Elena interrupted, her cheeks flushing and flooding her face with warmth. "I meant what did you do to annoy me, you idiot."

A dangerous gleam entered his eyes and Elena had the fuzzy feeling she had seen that look on him before. A coil of fear unravelled in her stomach as she anticipated danger, a feeling she didn't understand. She thought she had felt fear before but this far surpassed any terror upon seeing a huge spider. It was the closest thing to absolute terror she had felt since the car accident that had seen her and her parents drive off a bridge before becoming submerged in water. These thoughts made her close her eyes in an attempt to slow her breath before she had a full-blown panic attack. Calm down she instructed herself. You're safe...

Her eyes flickered open and she flinched to see Damon leaning in close, once again invading her personal space. Maybe if she wasn't in such a bad frame of mind she wouldn't have minded but as it was she did. Rapidly losing her patience, which was shortened by the alcohol, she raised a hand to ward him off.

Taking no heed of her non-verbal warning, he pressed his chest against her hand and she struggled to keep her thoughts away from how he felt beneath her touch.

"It went a tiny bit like this," he whispered in a low voice, his breath tickling her flushed skin. His eyes connected with hers, the pupils dilating so rapidly Elena had to blink to clear the fog from her head. She was never drinking again if it caused her this fear and hallucinations. "You want to kiss me."

Elena felt her head tilting towards his, seemingly of its own accord. There was a tense moment of anticipation. She felt her eyes drawn to Damon's mouth as his tongue swept over his lower lip. Then she burst out laughing, leaning back against the couch where she only now recalled Caroline was lounging.

"I can see how that would piss me off," she grinned. "Don't try that again. Never tell me what to do or treat me like one of your playthings. No offense, Care."

"None taken," Caroline murmured sleepily.

Damon's mouth had dropped open before snapping shut in a thin line, his brows knitted together in a way that suddenly seemed to justify Elena's earlier panic. Giving Elena a once-over he shrugged, before taking another swig of beer. "Must be having an off-night," he muttered darkly, shooting Elena another suspicious glance.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter! Some of you were ahead of the game and guessed the power of the bracelet, you cleverclogs. <strong>

**Please review- it immunises you against writer's rage :P**


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